Backward treaded pedal-operated exercise bicycle with duel functions of outdoor and indoor exercising

ABSTRACT

A duel functional pedal-operated exercise bicycle comprises: a front wheel, a rear wheel mounted to a rear end of a frame, a pair of reciprocating pedals disposed to two sides of the frame, a crank means disposed to a middle portion of the frame characteristically rotated in a backward direction, a chain system, and a pair of rotating direction transmitting gears, and further comprising a rear wheel lifting stand to use for an indoor exercising therefore.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a duel functional pedal-operatedexercise bicycle especially relates to a backward-tread pedal-operatedbicycle having a crank means rotated in backward direction reversed to aconventional bicycle, in which a reaction force of a backward treadingwill push the rider tilted forwardly in a running manner with his (her)gravity center to a front portion of the bicycle so as to increase thestability in a rapid changing of riding direction with less centrifugalforce, and further having a rear wheel lifting stand attachablly for anindoor exercising.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Various pedal-operated vehicles have been patented over theyears, most of them are mainly related to the tri-wheel vehicles onlyfew of them are related to the exercise bicycles. However such bicycleshave all had one or more drawbacks, for example: U.S. Pat. No. 1,977,035of W. R. Benjamin discloses mainly a pedal-operated tri-wheel vehicle asshown from FIG. 1 to FIG. 8 in the patented document, but FIG. 9 and 10discloses an additional embodiment of a pedal-operated bicycle having achain wheel 69 mounted on a crank axis 59 directly rotated by the cranksin a forward pivot there will be a drawback that the tread force shouldbe started at an instant when a crank roller 60 is rotated forwardlyjust passing over a top dead point of the rotating cycle. As shown inFIG. 1, a tread force F initiated at an instant while a crank rollerjust passing over a top dead point T, the direction of tread force F isforwardly tilted down, therefore a reacting force R in a reverseddirection will naturally to push the gravity center of the rider tend toa backward position far from the front wheel, in which a largercentrifugal force will be occurred during a rapid change of ridingdirection in a high speed running, which may caused an accidentaltoppled over of the vehicle. In compare with FIG. 2, it shows anembodiment of the present invention which characteristically having apair of transmitting gears 52 and 54 for providing a backward rotationof the crank means 30 for to change the direction of the tread force Finto a tilted down backwardly. therefore a reacting force R′ of thereversed direction then will push the rider forwardly with his (her)gravity center in a front position chose to the front wheel for highsafety therefore.

[0003] Another prior art of U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,918 of Byron C. Coleman,the prior art discloses a pedal-operated vehicle as shown in FIG. 2 ofthe document compressing a pair of pedal board respectively to drive arope-pulled chain system 58 and 64 to instead the using of a crank andtransmition gears however there are drawbacks that firstly the operatingmechanism is too complex, secondary a wide lateral space is needed, andfurther it is too heavy with a complex mechanism and such a thick rearwheel as shown, and will coast too much for an exercise bicycle.

[0004] Further more, all the prior arts can not be used for an indoorexercise.

[0005] It is, therefore, a main abject of the present invention is toprovide a pedal-operated exercise bicycle characteristically in using abackward tread force for high safety.

[0006] Another main object is to provide a pedal-operated exercisebicycle, which can be used for an indoor exercise as well as an outdoorexercise.

[0007] Still another object is to provide a pedal-operated exercisebicycle, which is light and low coast.

INTRODUCTION OF DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 showing a prior art, which a crank means is rotatedforwardly to drive a chain system directly.

[0009]FIG. 2 showing an embodiment according to the present invention,which the crank means is rotated backwardly to drive the chain systemindirectly through a pair of transition gears.

[0010]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferable embodiment of thepresent invention.

[0011]FIG. 4 is a partial explosive view of FIG. 3.

[0012]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a rear wheel-lifting stand usedfor an indoor exercise according to the present invention.

[0013]FIG. 6 is a perspective view to show the rear wheel-lifting standis used to the exercise bicycle for an indoor exercising.

[0014]FIG. 7 is an embodiment, which has a group of reduction chainwheels mounted at a rear portion of the chain system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION TO THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a preferable embodiment of thepresent invention showing a pedal-operated exercising bicycle 10comprises:

[0016] a front wheel 12;

[0017] a rear wheel 14 mounted on a rear wheel shaft 16 at a rear end ofa frame 18;

[0018] a pedal means 20 including a pair of pedal board 24 mounted on apadded shaft 22 at a front end of the frame 18, a vertical flange 26upwardly raised from an inner side of each pedal board 24 respectivelyto protect to foot from an accidental slipping, and a slide slot 28disposed under the pedal board 24;

[0019] a crank means 30 having a crank shaft 32 disposed on the frame18, and two opposite cranks 34 each having a lateral roller 36 at an tipend thereof respectively inserted into a corresponding slide slot 28 ofthe pedals 24 to slide reciprocally therein, in which the cranks 34rotated backwardly around the crank shaft 32 by a backward treadingforce of the feet of the rider so as to push the rider in a manner ofrunning with his (her) gravity center G to a front portion of thebicycle (as shown in FIG. 2) for providing a high safety therefore;

[0020] a chain system 40 including: a chain wheel shaft 42 disposed onthe rear wheel shaft 16, a chain wheel 44 mounted on the shaft 42, afree wheel 46 mounted on the rear wheel shaft 16 drove by a chain 48 forrunning the rear wheel 14 forwardly therefore;

[0021] a pair of matched transmitting gears including a driving gear 52mounted on the crank shaft 32 and a driven gear 54 mounted on the chainwheel shaft 42 for transmitting a backward rotation of the chain system40 so as to provide a forward rotation of the rear wheel therefore.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 5, which showed a rear wheel lifting stand 60to support the rear wheel 14 fixedly thereon for an indoor exercisecomprising:

[0023] a base rack including a main lateral member 62 and twolongitudinal members 64 disposed at two opposite ends of the lateralmember 62 respectively, and a center member 66 extended backwardly froma center portion of the lateral member 62

[0024] two rectangular columns 68 standed vertically from two oppositeside of the lateral member 62 for holding two extended ends of the rearwheel shaft 16 which on a top of a right side column 68, a sleeve tube72 with a half-cut mouth 74 is disposed thereon for receiving the rightside end of the rear wheel shaft 16 and pushed thereinto, while on a topof a left side column 68 having sleeve tube 76 with a push lever 78 beable to push the sleeve tube 76 sliding to sleeve the left end of therear wheel shaft 16 therein;

[0025] a seesaw-typed friction device 80 disposed on the center member66 including a supporting axis 82 at a center, a friction wheel 86 at afront end of seesaw-typed lever 84 be able in contact to the rear wheel14 with an adjustable friction controlled by a position retaining bolt88 at a rear end of the lever 84.

[0026]FIG. 6 is a perspective view to show the present invention is inan indoor exercise with the rear wheel had been lifted by the rearwheel-lifting stand.

[0027]FIG. 7 shows an embodiment, which has a group of reduction chaingears 90 mount to a rear portion of the chain system 30 used for speedreducing while the bicycle is climbing up to a high ratio slop.

1. A pedal-operated exercise bicycle comprises: a front wheel; a rearwheel mount on a rear end of a rear frame; a pair of reciprocatingpedals disposed at two sides if said frame; a crank means including acrank shaft and two opposite crank each having horizontal driven rollerat an end edge thereof; a driving system comprising a pair of rotatingdirection transmitting gears and a chain system.
 2. A pedal-operatedexercise bicycle according to claim 1, wherein each of said pedal has asliding slot there under for inserting said horizontal driven roller ofsaid crank and be able sliding therein, and a vertical foot-slippingprotect flange upwardly disposed at an inner side edge thereof.
 3. Apedal-operated exercise bicycle according to claim 1, wherein said crankare droved by the reciprocate movement of said pedals characteristicallyrotated in a backward direction reversed to a conventional bicycle.
 4. Apedal-operated exercise bicycle according to claim 1, wherein said chainsystem comprises a chain gear mounted in a chain gear shaft in said rearframe behind said crank shaft, and a free gear mounted in a shaft ofsaid rear wheel.
 5. A pedal-operated exercise bicycle according to claim1, wherein a pair of said rotating direction transmitting gearscomprises a driving gear mounted on said crank shaft and a driven gearmounted on said chain gear shaft and matched therefore.
 6. Apedal-operated exercise bicycle further comprises a rear wheel liftingstand used for an indoor exercising comprising: a base rack composed ofa main lateral member having two longitudinal members disposed at twoopposite ends of said lateral member, and a center member extendedbackwardly from a center portion of said lateral member; a pair of rearwheel shaft holding column standed at two opposite sides of said lateralmember to support two opposite ends of said rear wheel shaft rigidly forlifting said rear wheel to leave the ground in a small space; a frictionproviding device disposed to said center member thereon.
 7. Apedal-operated exercise bicycle according to claim 6, wherein said rearwheel shaft holding columns comprises a right side column and a leftside column which said right side column consists of a sleeve tube forinserting a right end of said rear wheel shaft having a half-cut mouthfor easy receiving said shaft end thereinto, while said left side columnconsists of a lever-pushed sleeve tube to force both end of said rearwheel shaft respectively in to two opposite sleeve tubes therefore.
 8. Apedal-operated exercise bicycle according to claim 6, wherein saidfriction providing device disposed to said center member of said baserack comprises a seesaw-typed lever having a support center at a middle,a friction wheel at a front edge be able to contact with said rear wheelby adjusting a position retaining bolt at a rear end of saidseesaw-typed lever.